Watch

Beth lost her father to dementia and spoke of many memories from her childhood and stories he had passed on. From his experience of being a prisoner of war, to her being embarrassed by his wardrobe choices in the 1970s. She discussed specific events that she can remember such as being taken to the library with her siblings to find out what Latin words meant, and then, when Alzheimer’s began to take hold, how he would use humour to get over his confusion.

The object she uses to remember him by was a digital watch that he had bought from a catalogue. He enjoyed taking apart digital objects to see how they worked and the watch was no exception. It never quite worked the same, but it reminds her of a time that he was ‘failing’ yet there were still glimmers of his charm. She now keeps the object in a drawer for mis-purchased objects in her dressing table. She chose to tell the story as although he suffered from Alzheimer’s, he had achieved so much in his life that she needed others to see.